Not many sides win a Twenty20 game from 83 for 6 in the first innings. Not many sides have Kieron Pollard, who once again showed how much damage he can cause if he gets some time in the middle. On a pitch where both line-ups crumbled, barring both No. 6 batsmen, Pollard was the difference, although MS Dhoni almost stole the match from Mumbai Indians' grasp with an ever more outrageous counter-attack. Fittingly, with Chennai Super Kings needing 12 off six, Pollard intercepted what looked set to be another Dhoni six on the deep midwicket boundary, sealing the game for his side with an acrobatic catch.

Pollard had breathed life into a stalled Mumbai Indians innings, which had gone nowhere after Sachin Tendulkar had fallen leg-before to Dirk Nannes in the opening over for a golden duck. Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma soon followed Tendulkar. Although Dinesh Karthik looked in fine touch, when he departed for 37, Mumbai Indians were 59 for 4 in the ninth over and the Super Kings seamers were on top.

Pollard batted quite sensibly, willing to go without scoring for several deliveries, knowing that when he wanted, he could always collect six with his power and reach. Half of the 38 deliveries he faced were dots, but he also biffed five sixes. Even when he went for the big strikes, he wasn't taking risk. He would just lean forward to length or full deliveries and lift them over long-on.

From 83 for 6, to add 65 in eight overs, with Harbhajan Singh for company, was quite an achievement. Harbhajan's contribution, a run a ball 21, was crucial. Carefree swiping was put away and the strike was turned over. When it wasn't, to Pollard's disappointment in the final over, Harbhajan himself found the boundary. Pollard cracked Dwayne Bravo's final ball of the innings over long-on to ensure there would at least be a contest in the game.

There almost wasn't one, though, as the Super Kings batsmen played a series of poor shots to leave their side gasping at 66 for 5. M Vijay walked too far across to be bowled, Michael Hussey missed a slog to be bowled, Bravo drove loosely, and S Badrinath went too far back when he should have been forward.

Dhoni walked in, and the match started to turn. An upper cut appeared, a whiplash drive, a calm pull. Soon the long-on and deep midwicket boundary was being peppered with monster sixes, even as batsmen kept arriving and departing at the other end. Pollard took the most punishment, five of Dhoni's eight boundaries coming off him.

Forty needed off 18. Dhoni lashed 17 off a Pollard over. 23 needed off 12. Dhoni found the stands at deep midwicket again, this time off Mitchell Johnson, to zoom to 50 off 24. Both Pollard and Johnson sprayed a couple of wides each, such was the effect Dhoni's assault had.

First ball of Munaf Patel's final over, Dhoni went for six more, targetting deep midwicket again, but this time, the towering figure of Pollard stood in the way, and made one final, decisive impact.

It was 3:55 am here in melbourne, and i only managed to get up because i was hungry. But i managed see the last of MSD's innings, THank God!

Its just amazing to see MSD and he's an absolute delight to watch and infectious! wats inspiring about him is how much better he is than anyone else you'd find.

No one else would have the self belief in the chase like this. Not a lot of specialist batmen would take up most of the strike and back themselves to hit 20 odd runs in last two overs or 12 runs in last one. I havent seen Sachin or Ricky Ponting do that.

And like Abhishek mentioned, the way he upset bowling rythm of Mitchel Johnson and Keiron Pollard, you can imagine how menacing he would be if your a bowler.

And After he got out, the last batsmen couldnt even connect in the last over. Granted he is a bowler and he wasnt settled in, but it shows that in high pressure situation, to hit sit sixes and fours at will is not that easy, Unless your MSD ofcourse.

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | April 6, 2013, 23:19 GMT

Another thriller but this time it went in favour of MI. Clearly there were 3 great phases which swung the game both ways. Firstly, Pollard displayed a show of power + patience to bring MI from nowhere to a competitive total. Again Ponting's batting order left lot to be desired. It is crazy to put Rohit & Rayudu above Pollard. Pollard would have run out of partners if Bhaji had not stayed at one end. After CSK made a poor start, it looked a hopeless situation. This time it was Dhoni's turn to rise to the occasion with some power hitting. Ponting had to use Pollard for the 18th over permitting Dhoni to bring CSK back into the game. The way Dhoni was batting it looked like game, set & match.12 from the last over with Munaf bowling. Dhoni launched the very first ball towards Six but Pollard on the fence brought about an acrobatic catch- jumping 3 feet high + maintaining balance to keep his feet in! What an Athlete & superlative fielder!Catches do win matches & Pollard proved it.

POSTED BY
mukugamer
on | April 8, 2013, 12:51 GMT

this was a nerve wrecking contest i wanted csk to win i dont think any other man other than pollard could have caught that last over catch

POSTED BY
ladycricfan
on | April 8, 2013, 8:43 GMT

Rohit was definitely out. Sachin and karthik lbws could've gone either way. But decisions were not howlers. Badri's lbw - not out. Ball would've missed the leg stump. Badri should've come at the fall of Raina's wicket. He would've steadied the innings. With Albie's absence Bravo should've batted down the order. Jadeja should've bowled his all four overs. He troubled Pollard and dropped him off his own bowling. For his standard it was an easy catch......Some suggestions from an armchair critic with the help of hindsight to our very own captain cool genius MSD.

POSTED BY
on | April 8, 2013, 8:10 GMT

i still prefer playing classic players rather than hard hitters and the thing you all wish to overlook is 3 wrong decisions that affected MI...cmon Sachin Karthik and Rohit wernt out even the commentators said...n watever you say sachin wasnt out ! and seeing this commenting that he aint performing is wrong

POSTED BY
TheOnlyEmperor
on | April 8, 2013, 6:24 GMT

Somebody in the CSK camp should give a piece of their mind to Vijay on the shot he played. One doesn't have to score stupid shots to score runs, especially as an opener when the team score is just 10.
Badri is a liability with a strike rate that will never get the team anywhere. I would rather that Anirudh Shrikant takes his place. Bravo is not a very imaginative batsman at the top of the innings. He should be pushed lower down and asked to slog. I would want the Chennai batting order to be Vijay, DuPlessis, Raina, Jadeja, Dhoni, Bravo, Aniruddh, Ashwin, etc. Dhoni must ensure that he is in latest by the 13 over. As for MI, the order should be Dwayne, Sachin, Pollard, Ponting, Kartik, Rohit, Rayudu, Johnson, Bhajji.. This order would be awesome!
Question to Ponder: Why are supposedly world class players so stuck up about their batting positions?

POSTED BY
ooper_cut
on | April 8, 2013, 6:03 GMT

Was nice seeing old pros Sachin & Ponting opening the innings together in their first match against RCB, but now that the show is over, there needs to be some changes in the MI lineup. They lost the game against RCB which they should have won almost lost this one against CSK too.

POSTED BY
Temuzin
on | April 7, 2013, 22:05 GMT

@ A__J
Totally agree with you Dhoni is the king of superkings. Man what a player, Thrills every one when in full flow. Even the Dhoni bashers like AlexK400 admire him secretly.

POSTED BY
A__J
on | April 7, 2013, 20:06 GMT

Dhoni played like a true pro finisher, he seemed totally cool and collected which allows him to chase down any total!! Chennai is really lucky to have him with the bat and as a captain

POSTED BY
Angry_Bowler
on | April 7, 2013, 20:04 GMT

Some people, who don't know about the game or totally biased, keep saying there are better wicket keeper batsmen in India than Dhoni. You know what they are all a light year behind him. He is not only best in India but the best in the world. I am not CSK fan but the king of super kings.

POSTED BY
JustAnotherCricketFan
on | April 7, 2013, 0:09 GMT

It was 3:55 am here in melbourne, and i only managed to get up because i was hungry. But i managed see the last of MSD's innings, THank God!

Its just amazing to see MSD and he's an absolute delight to watch and infectious! wats inspiring about him is how much better he is than anyone else you'd find.

No one else would have the self belief in the chase like this. Not a lot of specialist batmen would take up most of the strike and back themselves to hit 20 odd runs in last two overs or 12 runs in last one. I havent seen Sachin or Ricky Ponting do that.

And like Abhishek mentioned, the way he upset bowling rythm of Mitchel Johnson and Keiron Pollard, you can imagine how menacing he would be if your a bowler.

And After he got out, the last batsmen couldnt even connect in the last over. Granted he is a bowler and he wasnt settled in, but it shows that in high pressure situation, to hit sit sixes and fours at will is not that easy, Unless your MSD ofcourse.

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | April 6, 2013, 23:19 GMT

Another thriller but this time it went in favour of MI. Clearly there were 3 great phases which swung the game both ways. Firstly, Pollard displayed a show of power + patience to bring MI from nowhere to a competitive total. Again Ponting's batting order left lot to be desired. It is crazy to put Rohit & Rayudu above Pollard. Pollard would have run out of partners if Bhaji had not stayed at one end. After CSK made a poor start, it looked a hopeless situation. This time it was Dhoni's turn to rise to the occasion with some power hitting. Ponting had to use Pollard for the 18th over permitting Dhoni to bring CSK back into the game. The way Dhoni was batting it looked like game, set & match.12 from the last over with Munaf bowling. Dhoni launched the very first ball towards Six but Pollard on the fence brought about an acrobatic catch- jumping 3 feet high + maintaining balance to keep his feet in! What an Athlete & superlative fielder!Catches do win matches & Pollard proved it.

POSTED BY
mukugamer
on | April 8, 2013, 12:51 GMT

this was a nerve wrecking contest i wanted csk to win i dont think any other man other than pollard could have caught that last over catch

POSTED BY
ladycricfan
on | April 8, 2013, 8:43 GMT

Rohit was definitely out. Sachin and karthik lbws could've gone either way. But decisions were not howlers. Badri's lbw - not out. Ball would've missed the leg stump. Badri should've come at the fall of Raina's wicket. He would've steadied the innings. With Albie's absence Bravo should've batted down the order. Jadeja should've bowled his all four overs. He troubled Pollard and dropped him off his own bowling. For his standard it was an easy catch......Some suggestions from an armchair critic with the help of hindsight to our very own captain cool genius MSD.

POSTED BY
on | April 8, 2013, 8:10 GMT

i still prefer playing classic players rather than hard hitters and the thing you all wish to overlook is 3 wrong decisions that affected MI...cmon Sachin Karthik and Rohit wernt out even the commentators said...n watever you say sachin wasnt out ! and seeing this commenting that he aint performing is wrong

POSTED BY
TheOnlyEmperor
on | April 8, 2013, 6:24 GMT

Somebody in the CSK camp should give a piece of their mind to Vijay on the shot he played. One doesn't have to score stupid shots to score runs, especially as an opener when the team score is just 10.
Badri is a liability with a strike rate that will never get the team anywhere. I would rather that Anirudh Shrikant takes his place. Bravo is not a very imaginative batsman at the top of the innings. He should be pushed lower down and asked to slog. I would want the Chennai batting order to be Vijay, DuPlessis, Raina, Jadeja, Dhoni, Bravo, Aniruddh, Ashwin, etc. Dhoni must ensure that he is in latest by the 13 over. As for MI, the order should be Dwayne, Sachin, Pollard, Ponting, Kartik, Rohit, Rayudu, Johnson, Bhajji.. This order would be awesome!
Question to Ponder: Why are supposedly world class players so stuck up about their batting positions?

POSTED BY
ooper_cut
on | April 8, 2013, 6:03 GMT

Was nice seeing old pros Sachin & Ponting opening the innings together in their first match against RCB, but now that the show is over, there needs to be some changes in the MI lineup. They lost the game against RCB which they should have won almost lost this one against CSK too.

POSTED BY
Temuzin
on | April 7, 2013, 22:05 GMT

@ A__J
Totally agree with you Dhoni is the king of superkings. Man what a player, Thrills every one when in full flow. Even the Dhoni bashers like AlexK400 admire him secretly.

POSTED BY
A__J
on | April 7, 2013, 20:06 GMT

Dhoni played like a true pro finisher, he seemed totally cool and collected which allows him to chase down any total!! Chennai is really lucky to have him with the bat and as a captain

POSTED BY
Angry_Bowler
on | April 7, 2013, 20:04 GMT

Some people, who don't know about the game or totally biased, keep saying there are better wicket keeper batsmen in India than Dhoni. You know what they are all a light year behind him. He is not only best in India but the best in the world. I am not CSK fan but the king of super kings.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 17:25 GMT

shankupals, I didn't say Pollard batted up the order. The dismissals forced his early arrival; and the team stood benefited. Read carefully before commenting, please.

POSTED BY
Temuzin
on | April 7, 2013, 16:10 GMT

MSD,
simply genius of cricket. Gutsy, powerful and confident. Bowlers beware of a great called MSD. Hail Dhoni. You are destined to give many fans a hear attack by your superlative batting.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 15:29 GMT

MI doesnt need legends in the top order.. they require furious batsman like pollard or dwayne smith to post big total in the 1st six overs..

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 14:45 GMT

BAD news, Albie Morkel got injured... didn't complete his 3rd over....... hoping it shudn't b serious...requesting all CSK fans to pray for him..Had he been there yesterday we would have won convincingly.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 12:58 GMT

a contest between pollard and msd ended with pollard bucketing the catch.1st battle to MI but CSK will surely like to win the more important ones that come late in the season.It was actually a very nice warmup for them.GO CSK!!!

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 11:45 GMT

Who says chris gayle,brendon mcculum and david warner are most dangerous batsmen in T20 cricket?
Probably ,dhoni,devilliers would be more successful in T20s if they bat at no. 3.They are one of the best finishers in cricket and they can clear any ground in the world.So,at that position they can play the role of anchor and finisher due to cimbination of defence and attack.

POSTED BY
dmqi
on | April 7, 2013, 11:16 GMT

Rick and Tendulkar do not need to prove anything more, you have enough. please drop down in batting order and give the deserving one to come first. Pollard the MAN.

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 7, 2013, 11:15 GMT

Pollard's innings was excellent there was no slogging, just well timed shots all round as well as rotating v spinners (something he used t struggle with) I find it so disgusting and disrespectful when commentates talk about "his big bat" nothing to do with fact the guy is naturally strong and works hard in the gym and on his game? no it's all his "big bat" even though it's just a standard 2.10lb SS that most players use. Imagine if commentators said same thing about Sachin every innings ( if you know anything about cricket you'd know he used a 3lb bat most his career) Please stop these disrespectful comments same goes for Gayle, never hear it about anyone else though why is that ? I'm sure MSD's bat is even bigger same for Yuvraj and others . . ,but you don't hear emphasis on this that Gayle and Pollard get, bit like in past when West Indians stared bowling fast it became an issue.

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 7, 2013, 10:54 GMT

I loved the banter between Pollard and Dhoni that stopping by Pollard and Dhoni pulling out next ball was hilarious, they also seemed to be havin a joke at presentation after the game, great advert for game play hard and with fun ! looking forward to there next battle !

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 10:34 GMT

no doubt pollard is more dangerous player in world

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 10:11 GMT

MI please keep rohit sharma for ever and also rayudu, maintain the same batting order...

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 10:05 GMT

yesterday we missed ALBIE MORKEL....Had he been there, CSK would have won the match convincingly..........

POSTED BY
vijay2pvk
on | April 7, 2013, 9:56 GMT

Wow..Grt show frm msd. Fingers crossed for both sides fans. As it is a start for csk I believe that they will find the momentum n proper team soon. No cricketer to my knowledge will have that much confidence without giving up how msd did y'day. Csk already seen such kind of situations earlier. During each difficult situation someone frm the team gives a good game. Csk will bounce back n soon will roar against their opponents. As vijay is already in form, hope that he will not have that much problem in batting during this season. Yes catches wins matches. Y'day csk missed lot of catches which costed them when pollards caught n bowled was missed by jadeja. Hope that csk will learn n correct their mistakes soon. Good luck csk.

POSTED BY
Alexk400
on | April 7, 2013, 9:43 GMT

My advice for Mumbai Indians is keep fluid batting order. Do not use same style player on the pitch same time. I really think Rohit Sharma, Sachin open and followed by Dwayne smith , Ponting (if sachin out ponting goes) ,DK , Pollard , others..

POSTED BY
Alexk400
on | April 7, 2013, 9:38 GMT

Dhoni is a glorified slogger who gets lucky in knee high bounce pitches. He is giant in IPL for sure . Worthless outside india. :). Worst test wicket keeper and batsman. DK is miles ahead of this sloggger in TEST. That said he is best leader of men in any sports ever seen not sure about his captaincy which is more lucky not tactically brilliant and he is often lucky than any human being. :) . He has all the ugly shot in one person. :)

POSTED BY
sameercricket1610
on | April 7, 2013, 9:30 GMT

Only difference was that amazing catch took by pollard who won the match for MI otherwise result would have in favour of CSK

POSTED BY
ladycricfan
on | April 7, 2013, 9:19 GMT

So far the quality of IPL is amazing. Apart from the first match where kkr looked to have won at the half time, all the other four matches went to the wire and any team could've won the match. Out of ten innings only two were scores of 160 or more. When the bowlers have a say in the match there is so much tension and IPL feels like a one long timeless Test match. So many ups and downs and so many momentums changing. MI v CSK match was the most thrilling. Expect more thrills when Mahi and his lions get on the pitch. Can't wait. CSK fan.

POSTED BY
Metro-ant
on | April 7, 2013, 8:41 GMT

If CSK had Kulasekara at the end with Dhoni, I'm sure they would have had a stronger chance they did with Laughlin. It's ridiculous that the TN government would ban them, it's not about security, it's just spiteful.

POSTED BY
sandy_bangalore
on | April 7, 2013, 8:00 GMT

Tendulkar at this stage of his career is clearly playing the role what Beckham has been doing in football for the last 5 years. Clearly past it, but his presence ensures that there is media spotlight on his team, and stands will be full. Also, probably Mumbai sells the maximum IPL t shirts.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 7:49 GMT

Totally agree with many fan comments here. Dhoni was absolutely a delight to watch. This is not the first time I've seen such a performance from Dhoni. Like Pankaj Upadhyay said, I too thought Dhoni was lucky just like Praveen Amre who had couple of good innings and fade, boy did Dhoni prove me wrong? Absolutely. Hats off to MSK, the absolute best indian captain ever!!

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 7:29 GMT

MSD knows his limitations. BUT!! I say but, his limitation is like a milestone to others. There have been great players and there will be even greater. But, seldomely you see you a genius reader and composed personality like Dhoni. To wrap it up, I must say he is indeed the best captain ever. I say this not as an Indian, but a genuine cricket lover who rated him lucky to start with, but gradually understood his ability, game and becom a fan.

POSTED BY
Venkiviru
on | April 7, 2013, 7:28 GMT

Dhoni is at his best when he is attacking...Hope he carries it!!!

POSTED BY
shankupals
on | April 7, 2013, 7:22 GMT

@Angry_Bowler, @ BRUTALANALYST, @Dravid_Gravitas
Sachin scored 0, team won...Sachin scored 100..still team lost... Please understand cricket is a team's game. Dhoni played like God, but one mistake cost the game. It's not a one mans show.
@Dravid_Gravitas, Sachin's strike rate is better than Dravid's so it applies to Dravid than Sachin.
@Chris Kay, @ifrakurshid, Pollard still batted in the same position.

POSTED BY
sreehk
on | April 7, 2013, 7:06 GMT

MI wins but not convincingly, for the stars, strategy team, and bench they have got. If MI were members of UN, they would have been lauded for adopting No-First-Nuclear-Use-Policy, i.e. not using Pollard missile, even after losing last IPL final for same mistake. It is just a shame that a bunch of strategy fools are going beyond common sense not using Pollard at all. Simple strategy is not to think at what position to send Pollard in, instead regardless of number of wickets fallen, at what over to send him in. If MI is 80/1 after 11 overs, it makes sense to have Pollard bat than at 120/4 after 18 overs. Also between Tendulkar and Ponting, they have to decide who is the attacker and who is long innings player. Else it is not surprising to see MI often with scores like 40/0 after 6 overs, which is not really great and adds pressure on middle order for a collapse. At IPL level on Indian wickets if you are not playing Ojha in the eleven, sorry. His IPL stats better than Harbajan. Wakeup!

POSTED BY
class9ryan
on | April 7, 2013, 6:35 GMT

Mumbai Indians still have a lot 2 think about their batting order, I would better love Punter at 3 and karthik at 2, Sachin and Ponting though legends are doing nothing more than helping the opposition. Mumbai Indians will have to actually wait till Rohit and Rayudu come into their own

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 6:28 GMT

well it was a very close game........credit to Pollard's miraculous take that sealed the game for the men in BLUE.....BUT as it is evident from the last five seasons, CSK are slow starters but remain to be by far the most consistent team in IPL history...so it does not seem to be a big worry for them. But from MI point of view, the biggest worry is probably Pollard's batting position. A swashbuckling hitter is always beneficial in the top order in T20 cricket, the Trinidadian is perfect for the role. But as they say, it has to be observed by the MEN WHO MATTER.
But it was really fascinating to see 2 modern day greats -SRT n PUNTER, sharing their thought processes in the field as valiant leaders, well thats the beauty of IPL...!

POSTED BY
Dravid_Pujara_Gravitas
on | April 7, 2013, 6:20 GMT

MI should thank Statchin for his early dismissal. Oppositions should not remove him if they want to beat MI.

POSTED BY
harshthakor
on | April 7, 2013, 6:20 GMT

Great victory for the game of cricket.The game posessed all the ingredients of a great cricket match.Mumbai stuck to the task with great determination,continuously attacking the opposition.

POSTED BY
kevepere
on | April 7, 2013, 6:15 GMT

Dont expect pollard to play well in all matches. But he should come at 5 ! atleast by the 10th over to guide the MI to a respectable total. MSD is a brilliant fighter! Wonder whether anyone could pick his style of play that confuses the bowler's rhythm. It would be beneficial if dhoni's batting is analyzed more..

POSTED BY
vsroc
on | April 7, 2013, 6:08 GMT

Posted by Venkat Sraman
Good recovery by MI after fall of six wkts and supported well by their bowlers with brilliant catching tilted finally the scale in favour of MI.

V.Sethuraman.(Sethu).

POSTED BY
Rabin.Neupane
on | April 7, 2013, 6:01 GMT

MS Dhoni you beauty!!
Hats off for the player who has already played uncountable such innings.
He is undoubtably the best finisher the world cricket has ever seen.
LOOK AT HIS SELF BELIEF.any other batter would have easily gave up. The most important aspest of his batting is he can hit any bolwer for a six even to a yorker ball (remember anderson's ball).
And a brilliant minded captain a good wk. Hope u will finish the game next time and have a better support. And pollard will have his name in almost all the top ten best blinder catches.
Dhoni the cricketer of substance,the best finisher. God blesh u.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 5:53 GMT

Lately when I see MSD bat, I think he has lapped a saying only associated with Tendulkar... even when you think there is no time, there's lot of time (or it was something like that) .. Yesterday's match he exactly calculated, when 23 were required of 12 balls ... he needs just 4 balls ...! Almost did it ..

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 5:47 GMT

pandits says CSK plays team game but I'm seeing more often then not CSK putting pressure on MSD to bring them home.....with more than 10-12 per over needed most times

Ha ha ha.... Remember , which ever team comes to Chennai have the bane, they cannot use their best weapon (ban on Srilankan cricketers). CSK can have a jolly ride on the varam which they got for this IPL.

POSTED BY
Captain_Crick
on | April 7, 2013, 5:26 GMT

MSD - Take a bow! Wow, what a knock! A brave man and a leader by example. It's great to see a captain backing himself to win a match from a very tough position. Almost took CSK to victory from the jaws of defeat. Knocks like these under pressure makes T20 an amazing game to watch. Pollard's knock was good,calculated and set the tone for MI. CSK's fielding was unusually below par today with dropped catches of Pollard in particular. Needs to be back on track. On the other hand, Pollard's splendid catch to dismiss MSD was the difference between the sides.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 5:25 GMT

Ironically, MI benefited from their own dismissals; else, Pollard's arrival would have been delayed. Dhoni got it wrong, too; Jadeja would have been better option against KP for the last over.

POSTED BY
ajayverma.iitkgp
on | April 7, 2013, 5:20 GMT

Congratulations to MUMBAI INDIANS for their first win this years IPL. Despite their win MI has lots to department where they have to improve. in this game ,fifth bowler problem has arrived. picking smith ahead of ORAM was quite imaginable but that didn't worked.Oram is a very good bowler compare to smith and pollard.
POLLARD should be sent up the order at no. 4 or atleast no 5 if no. 4 is not possible. with MALLINGA coming into the squad,either of johnson or smith is likely to sit out. my first choice eleven will be
1. PONTING
2. TENDULKAR
3. ROHIT SHARMA
4. DINESH KARTHIK
5. POLLARD
6. AMBATI RAYUDU
7. SMITH/JOHNSON/ORAM
8. HARBHAJAN SINGH
9. PRAGYAN OJHA
10. MUNAF PATEL/ ABU NECHIM / DHAVAL KULKARNI
11. MALLINGA.
BEST WISHES TO MUMBAI INDIAN IS NEXT GAMES.
YOOO MI.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 5:12 GMT

Disppointed to lose Csk...But MI work very hard to win this match nd his deserve this...Best of luck Csk for the Next matches...

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 4:42 GMT

Though I am a MI supporter I can't but admire Dhoni's breath-taking knock. The kind of form that he is in,he is sure to take CSK to the finals.I want both MI&CSK to clash in finals.As far as MI is concerned I was really disappointed with the way Rayudu got out. when Polard is at the other end why did he go for such an adventurous shot? If he learns also how to play a subdued innings he will make an indelible mark on this IPL edition too.

POSTED BY
Nissan89
on | April 7, 2013, 4:19 GMT

Well played pollard and MSD

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 3:35 GMT

Dhoni yesterday play singly against whole stadium. All the time he knock when need to his team in crisis moment. Someone says helicopter crash but I am not agreed with them. Wish his helicopter will run again and next time. 17 Balls he faced yesterday and I find how tense was all MI player, supporters, team Management. I thought some from the stadium got hypertension for CSK action against MI. Dhoni just compromise all balls to ensure his level best for achieve target score. Wish best next time. Congrats MI.

POSTED BY
kevepere
on | April 7, 2013, 3:07 GMT

Pollard is much more better player of spin than gayle. gayle always gets out in some of the crucial matches against CSK especially to Ashwin

POSTED BY
IndCricFan2013
on | April 7, 2013, 2:20 GMT

Very good match. Loved Dhoni's innings, even if csk did not win the match. Pollard held the ctach and did all the things he could do for MI. But batting alone MSD innings was inch better than pollard for me. Chasing and high strike rate. Time and again he can take up any rate to chase, 14 or 15 runs every over for 3 or 4 overs he can do it, not sure even pollard can chase it. It was great. It is good that all the CSK batsman got a very good shake up, so they are ready for next match. Vijay needs to play normal game, no trying too much because it is t20. Bravo we love all his antics, but looked bit too much with pollard, need to bring it on when needed otherwise it is not enjoyable. Csk need to watch how they are sending in foreigners to bat. Bravo and Hussey both were strugling against spin, Badri should have come befoe Bravo, when wickets fall quickly. Can not wait for the next CSK match!!!

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 2:02 GMT

Why Dhoni did not bat earlier?.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 0:54 GMT

You would think Ponting as captain would be more sensible than SRT as captain. Yet Pollard continues to be sent at 6 or 7, when in fact he should open. In T20, spinners can be played any time, even at the start, so any perceived weakness against spin is inconsequential; if anything, it means Pollard, who bats better than any other batsman in MI in this format should come at 1, hoping to play the whole 20 overs, and score a century.

POSTED BY
ifrakurshid
on | April 7, 2013, 0:50 GMT

Yes Pollard WAS UTILISED correctly in this match by ricky pointing he delivered good he over come his glaring mistake OF the first match. But tendulkar throwing his weight as captain appears at time look 2 captains in the field.Sachin should support capt. in a better way not making him look like a novice. T he management should think of giving sachin captainship role will be better instead ugly scene are seen around the globe let nominated capt. do his part no one should try 2 take credit although pointing and audiance were pacify by nominating pointing by a prize of utlising his country fellow aggresively by bowlinG 3 overs on the trot by johnson. A vast difference was seen between styen and johnson in the end of innings. RAHUL played a good knock to lead his team from the front and Bradhog DID THE JOB IN HIS ABSENCE. EX-PLAYER ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR OLD POSITION PRIDE APPEARS TO BE THE MOTIVATION. CONGRATULATIONS TO ORGANISERS & TEAMS WINNING MATCHES MAKING IPL GO BOOM BOOM.

POSTED BY
on | April 7, 2013, 0:29 GMT

Csk tried to gain home advantage in an unfair manner by disallowing Lankan players. Unless they correct their mistake and take the necessary actions to make it an even contest for all the teams without any discrimination to players will also add to to the Spirit of the game, else they will loose all their home matches. MI Rockz...

POSTED BY
crickketlover
on | April 6, 2013, 22:13 GMT

Vijay is riding with success that he had against Aus in test series. I don't know how long it is going to last. It is typical with Indian players that they are allowed to rest on their past laurels.

POSTED BY
GHemrajani
on | April 6, 2013, 21:58 GMT

Mumbai won because the legends (Tendulkar and Ponting) didnt use many balls and left more balls for Pollard.

POSTED BY
TRAM
on | April 6, 2013, 21:47 GMT

Its Ponting's captaincy, esp field placings that won the match for MI.

POSTED BY
fah4
on | April 6, 2013, 21:47 GMT

@ crindex Please don't compare Vijay with Sehwag he can never play like Sehwag. Just look at the stats before you compare

POSTED BY
Alexk400
on | April 6, 2013, 21:33 GMT

I keep telling MUMBAI to dump rayudu. He plays only if dinesh karthik do not play. Too many similar players. Sachin , DK , Rayudu similar players. They should rest one and bring new young indian players

POSTED BY
Mano2004
on | April 6, 2013, 21:31 GMT

MSD is genius; he thinks you can win a match as far as you do not loose your wicket. Then M Vijay is double genius for he always thinks a match can be won on the 1st ball he faces. It's is so unfortunate he is back in Indian team.

POSTED BY
RS77
on | April 6, 2013, 21:10 GMT

Great game ... nicee to see MI winning without Malinga and with majority of the batting failing ... once the team settles well they can be devastating with Pollard playing this way ... long way to go into the tournament though ... waiting for Malinga comeback from next games ... also believe Pollard should bat higher up the order so that he atleast plays 30-40 balls every game ... go MI !!

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 6, 2013, 21:07 GMT

Did anyone else notice Dwayne Smith wasn't on the field, wonder what reason behind that was ? he's one of the best fielders around so he must of been ill or injured unless there is another reason he wasn't part of the second half of the game . . .

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 20:45 GMT

Great win for MI. Although I am largely skeptical about Ponting's place in the side. Questioning the place of the "captain" might seem a tad too haughty on my part, but its a thing to ponder. MI boast of some of the best T20 overseas specialists. The likes of Malinga, Maxwell, Pollard, Smith, Oram, Blizzard are all capable of changing the game. In their midst lies Ponting, who is a champion batsman and much more celebrated as a captain. When MI names a foreign player as a captain, it leaves them just 3 choices for the overseas players, 2 of them being sure-picks: Malinga and Pollard. What this does is that the last spot becomes a juggle between the rest of equally exciting players. There is no doubt that the role of a captain in cricket is more important than in any other team sport, but his utility as a player in the T20 format needs to be measured too. If Ponting can make a difference to this hugely talented MI side, no one will be happier than me.Hope that he proves me wrong.

POSTED BY
ladycricfan
on | April 6, 2013, 20:11 GMT

This is CSK's first match. They were trying out new players. Some regular ones were missing, faf, albie,Hilfenhaus. As tournament progresses they will find their winning ways. As a CSK fan I'm not disappointed. It was a thriller of a match. Dhoni's knock was just awesome.

POSTED BY
torsha
on | April 6, 2013, 20:05 GMT

MSD is a genius. Love to see when he bats and Danny Morrison commentating. What a finish to the match. Well batted by Pollard and that catch was amazing!

POSTED BY
JBSA
on | April 6, 2013, 19:55 GMT

@Crindex: Mate don't tell you are a CSK fan. We know what Vijay has provided in the previous seasons. Just wait and see. He is not alone big match player and also big innings player. When he gets going, no one can stop him. Sure this season we can see 3rd IPL century by VJ

BTW, no CSK fan would be asking to replace a player for just one failure. I accept Anirudh is a good talent but for the current team selection, he will need to find place only in the lower midde order. He has to compete with Aparajith, Badri, Saha and Jadeja for it. Also we never ask for any changes because we know our team management, captain and coach knows whom to select better than us.

Its not just CSK. Its 'The CSK'. The Terminators of other IPL Teams

POSTED BY
JBSA
on | April 6, 2013, 19:49 GMT

Really too happy to see MSD testing with our players. He is so reserved so far in 5 seasons. I hope he does try to test in atleast with first 4 matches. Regardless of a settled team, we will know our players worth. The spirit shown by young Laughlin was tremendous. I hope Dhoni tries the same team once more in the next match. Though our pitch assists spinners, MSD took a brave decision to field 4 pacers and 2 spinners. If Jadeja would ve stayed, the win would have been a cake walk

And not to forget a gem of an innings from MSD. Many changes this season: CSK testing new players, MSD peaking at the start, Rock Star showing guts and Indian Pacer taking wicket. Just one thing isn't changing: season start with a win

But no matter wat, it was a brave team show and tremendous gritty knock by King of the Super Kings

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 6, 2013, 19:46 GMT

Pollard again came out at 6 with 11.4 overs to face, he only got that chance due to fast wickets, Imo it is criminal if he is not given the opportunity to bat at least 10 ! He should come at 4 for me or if the opening pair have good partnership even 3 he has to have opportunity to bat at least 10 overs if not more because if he does you will win like Gayle, imagine if Gayle was only used for last 4 overs it would be criminal for fans and team alike ! Pollard is no different, despite winning the game he was still underused if he'd come higher score would of been plus 20/30

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 6, 2013, 19:38 GMT

Pollard again came out at 6 with under 9.3 overs to face, he only got that chance due to fast wickets, Imo it is criminal if he is not given the opportunity to bat at least 10 ! He should come at 4 for me or if the opening pair have good partnership even 3 he has to have opportunity to bat at least 10 overs if not more because if he does you will win like Gayle, imagine if Gayle was only used for last 4 overs it would be criminal for fans and team alike ! Pollard is no different, despite winning the game he was still underused if he'd come higher score would of been plus 20/30

POSTED BY
crindex
on | April 6, 2013, 19:34 GMT

Vijay is the Sehwag of CSK . He clicks in ome out of 10 matches and retains his place in the team. He must have support from the owners. Otherwise he has been responsible for batting collapse starting with him. Can someone drive some sense into CSK team management to replace Vijay with Anirudh Srikanth or Badri or some other new face? This is the reason for CSK failures. You cannot ask your captain to save you from top order batting collapse with such poor batting techniques and shot selections. I am singling out Vijay because others atleast are modest enough to learn from their mistakes. But the kind like Vijay and Sehwag are too arrogant and bullheaded to listen and learn. I wish CSK the very best in the rest of the tournament.

POSTED BY
cricket-freak
on | April 6, 2013, 19:29 GMT

Mitchell Johnson bowled really well in this match..played a silent role,conceding only 22 runs and bowling 15 dot balls..And Pollard was the hero of this thrilling match!loved the way he batted..4 fours and 5 sixes..A treat to watch him smashing huuge sixes..and the CATCH was epic!!Pollard won the hearts of Mumbai Indian Fans today by this all round performance..And Munaf Patel's bowling was worth praising,otherwise 12 runs in the last over was not a difficult task,but he made it seem difficult...A really interesting match and in the end no nation,race or player won,it was cricket that won.

POSTED BY
sweetspot
on | April 6, 2013, 19:20 GMT

Nothing we haven't seen before and yet, we can't get enough of these heart attack situations! What an innings from Pollard, and an even better one from the one and only MSD. Also something we have got used to by now, is CSK starting slow, being lethargic. None of their dropped catches cost too much either, and nice to see them trying new things like bowling out their main strike bowler and getting some exposure time for young Ankit in the death overs. Good to see MI getting into the groove, but what are they doing with Ponting and Sachin at the top? Please! This is T20!

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 19:20 GMT

That is the craziness of CSK......they know how to play under pressure! well the result may be against CSK but purely as a fan of cricket, no one denies great display given by the captain! what an one man attack! The same attitute was missing in the the previous game in DD. Overall it is a great start!

POSTED BY
MadrasCity
on | April 6, 2013, 19:19 GMT

It was a treat to watch Dhoni. Well as expected CSK lost its first match - This is what we have been doing for last 5 sessions.We are slow starters in all teh session but we manage to get qualified for the final four.We dropped lot of catches today - else pollard , karthik and R sharma should have gone bit earlier at a point of time i felt MI wil be all out below 100. Our catch was not sharp today and Mi did good fielding today. certainly Chennai missed Malinga - i still remember the helicopter shot of malinga yorker ball . Malinga would have been easy pick bowler for dhoni than munaf and M J.CSK fans will always back the CSK team , management and its players . Regardless of it outcome . CSK team tried new strategy to attack and gave chance to new players.Good to see new guys getting in and it would have been a tough day for them. Saw the nervousness in there face. They will soon get used to Cool Dhoni and Cool CSK fans - take one match at a time and come back to winning mood soon

POSTED BY
Ryan_hr
on | April 6, 2013, 19:18 GMT

Ponting makes all the difference to MI this season!!! MI always used to lose such close matches in their earlier seasons.
Pollard took MI to a danger situation by being so casual in his final over and took their team to the winning position by taking an IMPOSSIBLE catch(to other players).
Ponting is the man to watch in this IPL season. All the best to MI(bcoz of Ponting) though I am a fan of CSK though.

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 19:17 GMT

Awesome .. Stunning... Mindblowing Innings from Dhoni.. He made it a game on, though 55 odd runs from 5 overs with no specialist batsmen around.. Great Confidence!! Equally outstanding was that catch of Dhoni!!! Lost cause turned into a winning catch.. Overall it was a great match only for these 2 No 6 guys... MI has to relook their batting strategies.. Over-Confidence of CSK made them lose this match.. The lion is tamed in its own DEN!!!!

POSTED BY
ladycricfan
on | April 6, 2013, 19:17 GMT

What a fantastic match. T20 matches are more interesting when bowlers have the upper hand. Chennai batters looked a bit rustic. Well played Pollard and Dhoni. Dhoni almost pulled it off. Dhoni's innings was more exciting than Pollard's. Pollard had Bhajji for support. Dhoni was running out of partners. Pollard's catch won the match for MI. Congrats MI. Deserve the victory. Pollard deservedly MOM.

POSTED BY
BRUTALANALYST
on | April 6, 2013, 19:13 GMT

Haha Sachin should be banned for that outburst and Ponting take place as coach then allow1. Smith 2.Kartik to open 3.Sharma 4.Pollard 5.Maxwell 6.Raydu 7.Johnson then M.I would make 200 + every game !

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 19:12 GMT

@Angry_Bowler

Your question was answered in CLT20 2011. Sachin was injured the entire tournament and MI won the tournament under Bhajji's captaincy.

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 19:08 GMT

Nothing new for CSK! Every failure is a stepping stone to success! :D

POSTED BY
cskmukeshkumar
on | April 6, 2013, 19:05 GMT

CSK Really miss albie.......fortunately he will be with CSK in next match....

Gr8 Knock Dhoni - Wow Awesome to watch. We where almost there - no problem we will be there when it really needs ;-). Last year too CSK lost to MI int he first match.Its good to loose first and then peek when it requires. CSK catching was a worry they dropped ROhit sharma , dinesh karthik , pollard - At one stage i was worried that this match would be low scoring under 100.But CSK dropped too many catches and to my surprice Raina misfiled. Anyways I Know that CSK is a Team and not an individual - todays DHoni knock will ignote the Team. But I missed faf and Morkel today - He could have helped in using the long handle at right stage.

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 18:54 GMT

Yes. Pollard tripped Dhona by catching a remarkable catch. If ever he has touched the line or missed the opportunity, he would have lost his 'man of the match' award and would have gone to Dhoni. That is the beauty of cricket.

POSTED BY
SL_rockz
on | April 6, 2013, 18:52 GMT

What a counter attack BY MSD..Wow and simply mind blowing...though Csk(my fav) lost by 9 runs i was really happy about the gutsy character shown by them (MSD here).....It was ridiculous to think on a win from 86-6 ...But look at Csk they have never given up and if it was anyother fielder than pollard csk will win ultimately...WE JUST WENT BEHIND STEALING A WHICH WAS A COMFORTABLE WIN FOR MI...Well done csk though u lost this ur professionalism was at its peak...MSD you are awesome mate ...In a t20 from 16 th over onwards with 40+ runs needed of 18 balls this brave man thought he could do it alone refusing a single with tail ender.I mean who will think at that moment I can win this match alone irrespective of ur partner..Wow it was awesome thought and awesome battle MSD..Pleasure to watch..we will beat MI next time sure!!

POSTED BY
Angry_Bowler
on | April 6, 2013, 18:47 GMT

Catches win matches! That was the difference between MI and CSK. Said that Sachin's duck can win a match then imagine if sits on the bench can do for MIs.

POSTED BY
JustAnotherCricketFan
on | April 7, 2013, 0:09 GMT

It was 3:55 am here in melbourne, and i only managed to get up because i was hungry. But i managed see the last of MSD's innings, THank God!

Its just amazing to see MSD and he's an absolute delight to watch and infectious! wats inspiring about him is how much better he is than anyone else you'd find.

No one else would have the self belief in the chase like this. Not a lot of specialist batmen would take up most of the strike and back themselves to hit 20 odd runs in last two overs or 12 runs in last one. I havent seen Sachin or Ricky Ponting do that.

And like Abhishek mentioned, the way he upset bowling rythm of Mitchel Johnson and Keiron Pollard, you can imagine how menacing he would be if your a bowler.

And After he got out, the last batsmen couldnt even connect in the last over. Granted he is a bowler and he wasnt settled in, but it shows that in high pressure situation, to hit sit sixes and fours at will is not that easy, Unless your MSD ofcourse.

POSTED BY
Nampally
on | April 6, 2013, 23:19 GMT

Another thriller but this time it went in favour of MI. Clearly there were 3 great phases which swung the game both ways. Firstly, Pollard displayed a show of power + patience to bring MI from nowhere to a competitive total. Again Ponting's batting order left lot to be desired. It is crazy to put Rohit & Rayudu above Pollard. Pollard would have run out of partners if Bhaji had not stayed at one end. After CSK made a poor start, it looked a hopeless situation. This time it was Dhoni's turn to rise to the occasion with some power hitting. Ponting had to use Pollard for the 18th over permitting Dhoni to bring CSK back into the game. The way Dhoni was batting it looked like game, set & match.12 from the last over with Munaf bowling. Dhoni launched the very first ball towards Six but Pollard on the fence brought about an acrobatic catch- jumping 3 feet high + maintaining balance to keep his feet in! What an Athlete & superlative fielder!Catches do win matches & Pollard proved it.

POSTED BY
Angry_Bowler
on | April 6, 2013, 18:47 GMT

Catches win matches! That was the difference between MI and CSK. Said that Sachin's duck can win a match then imagine if sits on the bench can do for MIs.

POSTED BY
SL_rockz
on | April 6, 2013, 18:52 GMT

What a counter attack BY MSD..Wow and simply mind blowing...though Csk(my fav) lost by 9 runs i was really happy about the gutsy character shown by them (MSD here).....It was ridiculous to think on a win from 86-6 ...But look at Csk they have never given up and if it was anyother fielder than pollard csk will win ultimately...WE JUST WENT BEHIND STEALING A WHICH WAS A COMFORTABLE WIN FOR MI...Well done csk though u lost this ur professionalism was at its peak...MSD you are awesome mate ...In a t20 from 16 th over onwards with 40+ runs needed of 18 balls this brave man thought he could do it alone refusing a single with tail ender.I mean who will think at that moment I can win this match alone irrespective of ur partner..Wow it was awesome thought and awesome battle MSD..Pleasure to watch..we will beat MI next time sure!!

POSTED BY
on | April 6, 2013, 18:54 GMT

Yes. Pollard tripped Dhona by catching a remarkable catch. If ever he has touched the line or missed the opportunity, he would have lost his 'man of the match' award and would have gone to Dhoni. That is the beauty of cricket.

POSTED BY
MadrasCity
on | April 6, 2013, 18:56 GMT

Gr8 Knock Dhoni - Wow Awesome to watch. We where almost there - no problem we will be there when it really needs ;-). Last year too CSK lost to MI int he first match.Its good to loose first and then peek when it requires. CSK catching was a worry they dropped ROhit sharma , dinesh karthik , pollard - At one stage i was worried that this match would be low scoring under 100.But CSK dropped too many catches and to my surprice Raina misfiled. Anyways I Know that CSK is a Team and not an individual - todays DHoni knock will ignote the Team. But I missed faf and Morkel today - He could have helped in using the long handle at right stage.